Source‐Dependent Chemical Variability of Saposhnikoviae Radix Extracts Modulates Their Biotransformation in the Simulated Gastrointestinal System

Saposhnikoviae Radix extract (SRE) is an aqueous extract of Saposhnikoviae Radix, which exhibits anti‐inflammatory, analgesic, and antitumor actions in addition to its culinary and medicinal properties. In this study, an innovative analytical strategy was employed, combining the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME) and UHPLC‐Q‐Orbitrap‐MS/MS to characterize the metabolic features of SREs from different sources systematically. A total of 108 chemical components, 71 prototypical components, and 51 metabolites were identified. The metabolic features of SRE in SHIME were elucidated, and differences in SRE from different sources were evaluated. The results indicate that there are differences in the chemical components of the SREs from the three different sources and that such differences in chemical components are transmitted to the prototypical components and ultimately affect metabolites.